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Trip report: Park Hyatt Istanbul /Four Seasons at the Bosphorus

Trip report: Park Hyatt Istanbul /Four Seasons at the Bosphorus

Old Apr 20, 2012, 9:52 am
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Last edited by schriste; Apr 20, 2012 at 12:49 pm
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Old Apr 20, 2012, 3:41 pm
  #32  
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FS Istanbul at the Bosphorus is one of my favorite FS hotels in the world (other than Florence and Hong Kong)... Make sure you stay in the Palace room - I still dream of waking up in the morning and seeing floor to ceiling view of the Bosphorous.. Just magical.
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Old Apr 20, 2012, 6:45 pm
  #33  
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Thanks for all the replies... the FS Bosphorous does look a bit magical... and the Palace Bosphorous rooms are to die for it appears.. unfortunately they are also 1400 euros a night, so for my five night stay it's way way more than I was planning on spending... especially because I just tacked on another three days to the trip... It would be more like the comparison between a Deluxe room (at 650 euros a night) and the PH King Room at 330 euros a night (with a confirmed suite upgrade +Virtuosos benefits)

If the city of magic offer was on for October, I would jump on it in a skinny minute...

FDW
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Old Apr 21, 2012, 11:45 am
  #34  
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October may be a bit cold to use the swimming pool.. It's has the best view of the Bosporus river.
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Old Apr 24, 2012, 7:36 am
  #35  
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I was in the same dilemma a year ago and decided for Park Hyatt. The Virtuoso benefits were great, and we liked the central location where one can leave the hotel and walk around. The area (Beyoglu) is rather chic and there are plenty of shops, bars, cafs and restaurants. Also, getting to Sultanhamet was fairly easy, as traffic was not too bad (not as bad as on the waterside road leading to Besiktas and FS Bosphorus which was jammed up all the time).

For a regular city trip and sightseeing => PH
For a special, romantic getaway => FS (preferably in a Palace room, but these are really expensive...)
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Old Apr 24, 2012, 7:42 am
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Let's be clear on this; if you don't stay on the Bosphorus in Istanbul (FS or Cirgan) than you are not really experiencing Istanbul. It would be like visiting Hong Kong and not having a view of the harbor.
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Old Apr 24, 2012, 7:51 am
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Old Apr 24, 2012, 8:31 am
  #38  
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Originally Posted by vienna-resident
I was in the same dilemma a year ago and decided for Park Hyatt. The Virtuoso benefits were great, and we liked the central location where one can leave the hotel and walk around. The area (Beyoglu) is rather chic and there are plenty of shops, bars, cafs and restaurants. Also, getting to Sultanhamet was fairly easy, as traffic was not too bad (not as bad as on the waterside road leading to Besiktas and FS Bosphorus which was jammed up all the time).

For a regular city trip and sightseeing => PH
For a special, romantic getaway => FS (preferably in a Palace room, but these are really expensive...)
thanks.. it's a regular city trip/sightseeing/anniversary trip...
my wife only wants to stay in one place and I feel the PH will probably suit the purposes.. we had originally planned on the FS but we've decided to extend the vacation a couple days, so the money we save at the PH will help pay for the rest of the trip (at least 200 euros a night x 5 nights)...

Originally Posted by speedbird001
Let's be clear on this; if you don't stay on the Bosphorus in Istanbul (FS or Cirgan) than you are not really experiencing Istanbul. It would be like visiting Hong Kong and not having a view of the harbor.
That's a rather strong statement.
is this because of the view or the feeling of life along the Bosphorous?

In a perfect world, I would spend the 5 nights in a palace room at the FS.. but at 1400 euros a night it isn't happening...

FDW
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Old Apr 24, 2012, 8:33 am
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FDW,

It's the view, life on the Bosphorus and the sounds.
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Old Apr 24, 2012, 10:43 am
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Originally Posted by vienna-resident
For a regular city trip and sightseeing => PH
For a special, romantic getaway => FS (preferably in a Palace room, but these are really expensive...)
Oh please...

It's wowing at the service,the style,the beauty,the ambiance,the relaxation,the roomyness inside and out of it all.

Also,right outside the front gate,you're almost immediately in cafe Istanbul culture too,the PH has no exclusivity on that.

Also I've stayed in a Bosphorus suite there,which was beautiful but also a deluxe room with a corner Bosphorus view,it too perfectly lovely,the rooms are not small either.

My point is,you don't have to have a suite,full Bosphorus view or whatever to stay and enjoy the FS Bosphorus.
By all means use a preferred partner FS agency to do the booking and have the associated benefits which may include a better room if available.

Relaxing as a guest by the Bosphous from Aqua on the far left,right over to the pool on the far right is well worth it.
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Old Apr 24, 2012, 12:59 pm
  #41  
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FS >
€490 - 33 - superior room
€520 - 67 - courtyard room
€620 - 16 - deluxe room - limited angled view of bosphorus (south wing)
€1300 - 8 - jr suite - limited angled view of bosphorus OR garden (south wing)
€3250 - 8 - bosphorus suite - bosphorus view in bedroom only

(palace)
€650 - 19 - palace courtyard room
€1400 - 10 - palace bosphorus room
€2000 - 4 - palace roof suite (top floor)
€6000 - 2 - bosphorus palace suite
€7500 - 2 - 2BR bosphorus palace suite
~€23K - 1 - 3BR atik pasha suite

im sure there are reports of views from deluxe rooms and jr suites here

kempinski >
€520 park room
€640 superior bosphorus room - angled view of bosphorus

Originally Posted by speedbird001
Let's be clear on this; if you don't stay on the Bosphorus in Istanbul (FS or Cirgan) than you are not really experiencing Istanbul. It would be like visiting Hong Kong and not having a view of the harbor.
poor wording - by that wording, residents arent experiencing the city they live in. if were only talking about view, not only do opinions vary here, its certainly not the focus here.

re view of harbor in HK >

Originally Posted by MegatopLover
From Tsim Sha Tsui (where the Pen...located), you have a full-on view of the middle part of the harbour and basically the entire waterfront of HK island with the Peak in the background. This is the most famous view of Hong Kong

FS...Residences and some of the public areas face east and north looking at the HK Island waterfront and across the harbour to TST, but others are on the western facade of the building looking at West Kowloon and the open expanse of water between HK and Lantau Island.
Originally Posted by Pickles
worst view is the FS. The best view from the FS building is on the serviced apartments side, which faces directly into the harbour inlet. The hotel view is primarily of West Kowloon, Stonecutter's Island and West towards Tsing Yi and Lantau. Not a bad view, but not THE view.

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Apr 24, 2012 at 8:26 pm
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Old Apr 24, 2012, 2:41 pm
  #42  
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PH >

i hear spa rooms dont have rainsky, meaning rainsky in terrace suite from €1025
ok, now im really confused, i hear terrace suites may not have them either...
if this is the case it is blatant false advertising...

also hear spa rooms can have "small slice view of the Bosporus"
PH views according to site = http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/12765164-post7.html

july 14 >
€275 - 55 - room
€425 - 5 - park suite
€475 - 25 - spa room
€1025 - 5 - terrace suite
€2775 - 1 - executive suite
? - 1 - diplomatic suite
? - 1 - presidential suite

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Apr 25, 2012 at 3:05 pm
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Old Apr 24, 2012, 3:12 pm
  #43  
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moved

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Apr 24, 2012 at 8:25 pm
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Old Apr 24, 2012, 7:08 pm
  #44  
 
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Try the FS Sultanahmet

We were just in Istanbul Easter week, stayed at the TomTom Suites 2 nights and then the FS Sultanahmet, which we really enjoyed. We had the least expensive room: overlooked an "archaeological site" but also the Hagia Sofia which was great.
People were wonderful, the courtyard was full of tulips, delicious b'fast and it is close to all the sights. From their roof top restaurant you can get great views, though they were just opening it up when we were there.
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Old Apr 24, 2012, 8:23 pm
  #45  
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good point if one doesnt want regular room at bosphorus

FS IST has small size plus (walking) location

someone mentioned guests there have complimentary access to bosphorus facilities (was there complimentary shuttle/car as well? dont recall)
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